Woman Arrested In Tulsa Motel Homicide

Tulsa police have arrested a woman they believe shot and killed a man at a Tulsa motel and then drove his car into a lake.

She is identified as 21-year-old Marisha Taylor.  The victim has been identified as 29-year-old Jeremy Stanford.

Police say the homicide happened at the Budget Inn just off I-44 on West Skelly Drive.  Stanford's body was found by a motel maid Tuesday morning.

9/4/2018 Related Story: Body Found In Tulsa Motel Being Investigated As Homicide

In Taylor's arrest report, police say surveillance video showed Taylor walking into the victim's room late Monday.  They say a short time later, that same video shows her leaving and driving away in the victim's Ford Crown Victoria.

According to police, Taylor was found by Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers near Keystone Lake.  Troopers say Taylor was soaking wet and Stanford’s car was in the water.

"They told us a car had been pulled up out of Keystone Lake and it belonged to the victim.  And, from there, troopers were called.  Troopers found a girl that was wet at the scene," Sergeant Brandon Watkins said.

When questioned, Taylor told investigators she got lost trying to get to downtown Tulsa, ended up at Keystone Lake, and accidentally drove the car into the water.

“We are still working on bits and pieces of her story to find out the veracity of it,” said Watkins.

Police say Taylor told them that she had only met the victim a couple of hours before his death.  In the arrest report, police say Taylor admitted being with the victim at the motel while he was smoking PCP.  She told police Stanford shot himself in the head, the arrest report states.

Officers say Taylor also insisted the gun was in the room.

“We went inside and there was no gun or no weapons or anything like that,” stated Watkins.

Investigators say evidence at the scene indicates details in her story are not consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  During further questioning, police say Taylor admitted to giving the gun to an acquaintance.

Taylor was booked into the Tulsa County jail on a first-degree murder complaint.  Jail records show Taylor is being held without bond pending a court appearance.

Police say the dive team will go to the lake to search for more evidence.